Cameron Mackintosh Imagines West End's Sondheim Theatre as Hub for UK Transfers

Shows from the Donmar, Sheffield, Leicester's Curve and more just got a new London home. The Stage has just unveiled mega-producer Cameron Mackintosh's plans for the West End's Sondheim Theatre as a hub for short-run transfers from theaters across the UK.

Nick Allott, managing director at Cameron Mackintosh Ltd, told The Stage, "The theatre offers something that the West End has never had before, which is a transfer house for non-proscenium work that originated in the subsidised sector. It also offers an opportunity for some of the exciting work in the regions to get a showcase."

The Stage writes, "Shows will have a minimum eight-week run, running for no longer than 16 weeks, allowing for around four or five shows a year. Most of these will be programmed a year or more in advance, but there will always be one slot left available for that 'surprise' show that comes along and needs a London space."

A reworking of the existing Ambassadors Theatre, the new venue will house a main stage with between 450 and 475 seats, as well as rehearsal space above the auditorium, new dressing rooms, a cabaret space called the Sprague Room in the basement bar, and a brand-new foyer. The design, inspired by "the ingenuity and elegance of the theatre's architect, WGR Sprague," is from Aedas Arts Team's Julian Middleton.

Mackintosh announced his plan to buy the Ambassadors Theatre last year, and the revamped theater is aiming for a 2017 opening, following the submission of planning applications this year. No word on an official budget for the project, though Allott told The Stage, "It's a lot of money."

Among Mackintosh's many producing credits are LES MISERABLES, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, MARY POPPINS, MISS SAIGON and CATS, as well as an in-the-works OLIVER! film adaptation.

Pictured: Julian Middleton's Sondheim Theatre rendering, via The Stage.